The Community Health Needs Assessment results were presented to the Geary Community Hospital Board of Trustees on Tuesday.

According to the Marketing and Public Relations Director for the Hospital, Nikki Davies, many of the challenges discovered are similar to those uncovered in a 2014 assessment. “A lack of available healthy food options, fewer environments that support physical activity, too much access to alcohol and tobacco. We are the number one food insecure county in the state, but also the number one obese county in the state, highest smoking rate as well as the highest drinking. These are categories that we are number one in that we do not want to be number one in anymore.”

Education and collaboration among local organizations and initiatives will be necessary to meet the challenges.  Davies noted work has begun in the past two years, especially with the Hospital, Live Well Geary County and the Health Department to address these issues. She added the needle doesn’t mover overnight and it is a long term endeavor to make positive change. The success by Delivering Change in helping decrease the infant mortality rate in the community was one positive result cited by Davies.

She said, “This Blue Cross Blue Shield grant that Live Well received is a $500,000 grant, and granted is a drop in the bucket compared to what we really need to do long term, but opens the doors to more funding so we can be sustainable long-term and expand the initiatives we already have. Such as the Farmer’s Market which is a great resource for our community and different educational events that we can maybe provide for the community, and educating our community on really what’s available.”

Davies and Geary Community Hospital CEO Dr. Joseph Stratton will discuss the Community Health Needs Assessment Thursday on 1420 KJCK during the JC Now program at 7:48.

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